Primary Navigation

YOU CAN KEEP YOUR LONG DISTANCE RELATIONSHIP ALIVE

I was one out of the millions of people who anticipated the release of The Wedding Party 2 (TWP 2)- a Nigerian romantic comedy drama film, directed by Niyi Akinmolayan last year. Prior to its premiere, I was not entirely swayed by the visuals from the trailer though it was breathe-taking. I was swept off my feet by the flow of Timi Dakolo’s rendition of ‘Medicine’ – one of the soundtracks of the movie.

In his heart-gripping voice, he spills out the burden of his heart;

“I get sick when I’m far away from you for so long.

I lose sleep when i can’t get you on the phone.”

Timi is not the only one who finds himself in this situation. Have you ever found yourself waving goodbye knowing you will the see the face of the person you love in the next couple of months or perhaps a year or even more. Long distance relationship exist due to the interference of work , study and sometimes circumstances beyond our very control. Often these are relationships that have been built for a very long period of time. Love is a living thing. It breathes, it has to be kept alive and strong. Distance relationships may not be easy but the distance doesn’t have to ruin your relationship either. With the right commitment and communication you will do just fine.

These are steps to keep the candle aflame despite the physical absence;

Communication is an essential

If you are ever thinking of breaking any relationship, take away communication from it. Its like taking away oxygen from destabilised man and snuffing life out of him. Communication is highly essential in a long distance relationship. Keep your communication open. In this time of technology advancement, employing technology will help you bright more excitement and effectiveness in your communication. There are various options to pick from ranging from; sending voice messages, Instant Messages, texts,sharing photos, videos, making calls or video calls.

Trust Each Other There are moments of jealousy and insecurity in even the most secure relationships. However, every perceived slight or twinge of envy will be magnified in a long-distance relationship. The last things you want to do while you’re apart is spend your time obsessively checking his Facebook page or fretting about what he’s doing if he doesn’t respond to your texts quickly enough. You might need to keep that in check.

Keep the novelty alive.

One of the positive aspects of being in a relationship with someone for a long time is that you really get to know each other. The negative side of this is that the novelty wears off, and humans love novelty. However, there’s a way to keep the novelty alive: constantly try new activities when you both are together. Celebrate everything – Birthdays, anniversaries and that’s got be celebrated.

You ‘ve got plans to work on

Plan or schedule visits as often as you can and make the most of it. When you make the choice to pursue the relationship long-distance, decide how long you’d be able to live apart. Envision your future living together, and create a plan to get there. Take measurable steps along the way and stick to the plan.